Choosing between an Inkjet or Laser Printer

In the digital days of yore, choosing between an inkjet and a laser printer was easy. Laser printer cost and lack of color capabilities led every home PC owner to get an inkjet printer. These days, however, the line between inkjet and laser printers has blurred; here are the advantages of each one so that you can shop with the right type of printer in mind:

Laser printer advantages:

Speed: A laser printer can turn out pages more quickly than an inkjet printer can.

Low cost: Over time, toner costs for a laser printer total far less per page than refilling and replacing inkjet printer cartridges.

Quiet operation: A laser printer is generally quieter than a low-cost inkjet printer.

Best-quality text: No inkjet printer will ever turn out black text and line graphics as crisply as a laser printer does.

Inkjet printer advantages:

Versatility: A color inkjet can print on many types of media, including craft paper, T-shirt transfers, and even printable CD/DVD discs.

Smaller size: Save some space on your desktop.

Larger paper sizes: If you spend more, you can add to your system a large-format inkjet printer that can print 11-x-17-inch or larger items.

If you can afford a color laser printer, it offers better-quality color output than most low-cost inkjet printers. Pick a monochrome laser printer if most of the pages you print are text and if color isn’t a requirement.